By BRAD WONG, P-I REPORTER

Published 10:00 pm, Thursday, June 28, 2007

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun will make his first trip to Seattle on Saturday, talking with community leaders before departing the next day for an Olympics meeting in Guatemala.

Roh, 61, will arrive Saturday morning and meet with Korean Americans later in downtown Seattle to discuss U.S.-Korea relations, trade and a possible visa waiver for Koreans who want to visit the United States.

Before that 300-person meeting, first lady Kwon Yang-suk will meet with non-profit and foundation groups in downtown Seattle.

His visit recognizes the estimated 130,000 ethnic Koreans in Washington, community leaders said. They said Roh's presence will be a reminder of the business, economic and education ties between South Korea and the state.

Community members and the Korean government have contributed money to support the Korea Studies Program at the University of Washington, they added.

The program is one of the oldest of its kind in the United States.

Economically, South Korea ranked fourth in two-way trade with Washington in 2006, the same position it held six years earlier.

The country ranked behind China, Canada and Japan last year.

Also in 2006, about $4.3 billion worth of Korean goods were shipped through state ports, the state trade office reported.

During the same year, about $3.2 billion worth of goods left state ports for South Korea.

"This is a significant amount and it is increasing," said ChangMook Sohn, the state's chief economist, who visited the president last year in South Korea.